Three more men face charges in Sun Sea probe

Investigation nears end with six charged

The RCMP’s investigation into the MV Sun Sea smuggling operation that began almost two years ago is nearing an end, officials said Wednesday.

Supt. Derek Simmonds, the officer in charge of the federal border integrity program in B. C., announced at a press conference that three additional men had been charged in the “exceptionally complex” case — bringing to six the total number charged with peoplesmuggling.

“The investigative phase will soon conclude, and RCMP efforts will focus upon supporting Crown counsel and the court process,” he said. “While the possibility cannot be entirely ruled out, I do not expect further charges from this investigation.”

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews commended the RCMP for the additional charges.

“Our position is that [ the voyage] was part of a criminal enterprise which was exploiting these individuals for significant amounts of money,” Toews told reporters in Ottawa. “And those who are responsible for that criminal exploitation should be brought to justice and dealt with by the courts.”

The arrival on Aug. 13, 2010, of 492 Tamil migrants aboard the rusting Sun Sea cargo vessel sparked a nationwide debate about Canada’s immigration and refugee policies.

A bill introduced by the Harper government that is designed, in part, to crack down on human smuggling could go to third reading later this week.

RCMP officials said Wednesday that Thampeernayagam Rajaratnam of Toronto was arrested on one count of organizing entry of 10 or more people into Canada contrary to Section 117 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Charges were also sworn in B. C. Provincial Court against Nadarajah Mahendran and Sathyapavan Aseervatham. Their whereabouts are not known at this time, though police do not believe they are in Canada, officials said.

The National Post reported that Rajaratnam and Mahendran — both Canadians — were in Bangkok while the Sun Sea operation was being organized. Mahendran is a former Toronto convenience store owner, the Post said.

During their investigation, police conducted about 700 interviews, 95 per cent of which required the assistance of a translator, and collected more than 300,000 pages of information, officials said.

When the ship first arrived, there were about 200 investigators assigned to the case. That number eventually dropped to a core team of about 25 investigators.

Simmonds was not able to say how much the investigation has cost the force.

A spokeswoman for the Immigration and Refugee Board said Wednesday that as of May 28, only one man from the Sun Sea remained in immigration detention.

Refugee advocacy groups have said that the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka continues to face persecution in that country despite the end of a civil war.